Anyone who has been on a college campus has probably experienced issues with the internet, namely with wireless connections. This may be a real hindrance in browsing the web for homework, but it doesn’t have to be the be-all and end-all. Here are a few tips on how to troubleshoot dorm internet problems while you’re in college.
Questionable Wireless Connectivity
Wireless internet is usually the culprit behind internet issues. Broadcasting the internet over radio waves to several hundred or even thousands of students—who are trying to use the internet all at once—isn’t ideal. Furthermore, outages due to the internet provider or weather conditions could also pose a threat to your browsing interface. A tried-and-true method of fixing wireless connectivity is doing a solid reboot.
Overall Slow Internet Speeds
After you’ve done everything you can with your wireless connection, you probably don’t have the money to go and replace the router with an upgrade—you’re in college, after all. What you can do now is look for a more permanent solution.
If you take a look at your modem, there should be several Ethernet ports. You should be able to find some decent Ethernet cables at your local computer store or electronics outlet. You’ll find upgrading to Ethernet is relatively inexpensive. However, you’ll need to get the highest-functioning cable possible, which means you’ll want either a Cat 5 or Cat 6 cable with copper RJ45 connectors to ensure premium connection. Now you’ll always have the best connection while you’re at school—without breaking the bank.
Blocked Websites
We’ve all been through this: you’re in a crunch to finish your research paper for a final or midterm, and the internet suddenly seems to lock up. One of several things could be going on. If you go to your computer’s control panel, there should be an option to turn off the firewalls. Once you do this, you should be able to get through to the sites of your choice.
If not, the problem could be the speed of your connection. If that’s the case, you’ll have to run a speed test and then either reboot your computer or upgrade to Ethernet to ensure this never happens again.
Now that you have all the tools you need, you can go from a basic diagnosis to heavier-duty options. It’s always good to have those options so that you can stay connected wherever you are.
Knowing how to navigate the internet is important in this age of information. Therefore, it’s important to have the knowledge of how to troubleshoot dorm internet problems so that you can get your work in on time.
